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Showing posts with label Series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Series. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 June 2013

Review ~ The Guardian Series by Skyla Madi {Giveaway}


Welcome to my tour stop for 

The Guardian Angel Series by Skyla Madi

Please follow the remaining stops: tour schedule can be found by clicking on the event banner

Please read on to find my review of Your Guardian Angel, the first book in the Guardian Angel series, and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end to win some amazing prizes, courtesy of Skyla Madi.

Your Guardian Angel

by Skyla Madi

Series: Guardian Angel #1
Published: December 2012
Publisher: Limitless Publishing




Synopsis

For Ruby Moore life is far more complicated than that of your average teen, for she is in no way average. Ruby is a vampire and her life as a vampire is far from traditional.

It has been one year since her normal life was brutally taken from her. Still adjusting to the shock of the change from mortal to immortal, her world is rocked again and she is taken under the wings of a guardian angel back to Sage Sanctum- a school beyond reach from the vampires that are determined to destroy her.

There, she is freed from her vampiric chains and her normal needs and urges return. However a new urge arises… Lust. A forbidden lust toward her savior, her guardian angel.

Attempting to control these desires is difficult, very difficult and when things couldn't possibly get any worse, her situation becomes life or death as someone, somewhere in the school is aiding those who want her dead.

Paperback Princess Review


Your Guardian Angel is the first book in the Guardian Angel series by Skyla Madi, an Australian Author! When reading this book I thought it finished way too soon for my liking, don't get this mistaken for me thinking that the story itself finished prematurely, that's not the case. The story started off with a BAM and it didn't slow down, each page turn was filled with lots of substance and before I knew it, I was at the end of the page and thinking…"quick, get book 2"! Your Guardian Angel was a fantastic introduction to Skyla's Guardian Angel series, it's action-packed, fast-paced and very original in it's premise. Don't think you've read all the vampire plot lines just yet.

Ruby Moore has had a hard year, her Mother was drained by her recently-changed-Vampire Step-Father, Hank and if the trauma of seeing your Mother die before your eyes weren't enough, how about being changed to a vampire yourself? Unfortunately for Hank, Ruby is part Goddess and her Mother had instilled a protection spell on her, so rather than changing completely, she became a hybrid, half Goddess, half Vampire. Did I mention that this book is original beyond belief?

Ruby is determined to live normally and not be the monster she is inside. When her birthday party rolls around, Ruby finds herself facing off with an amateur vampire hunter blackmailing her, an old Vampire who wants to kill her and Guardian Angels who wants to kidnap her! She soon awakens at Sage Sanctum, a school for Gods, Goddesses and Guardian Angels, one that her Mother attended when she was younger.

At Sage Ruby has the opportunity to be normal again, as normal as a Goddess can be, but with a newly changed Vampire who has a personal vendetta against you won't stop at nothing till your dead, is Ruby really as safe at Sage as she is made to believe?

Your Guardian Angel was a fantastic first book to a series, it was action-packed and the characters were well written and very likeable, even Vampire Hank, whilst evil, was still portrayed with the initial personality he had prior to the change. Ruby is a strong character and I admired her determination to not be evil despite being a vampire, she refused to drink off people (although she had in the past) and she tries to keep her thirst in check. I didn't like Ruby's reaction to her Guardian Angel, Eli though, the whole instant love in YA doesn't bode well with me, but I do like their interaction, it was sarcastic and humorous and real!

Eli DeLuca, Ruby's assigned Guardian Angel…well let's just say he's mighty FINE! He's not the brooding type, he tries to stick with the rules but at the same time it seems he's heart means more to him. Their chemistry is tangible, he's sweet, caring but at the same time he's mighty bad ass fighter too! So many of the dialogue between himself and Ruby are just HILARIOUS!!!

"We will become bonded by each other's blood."
I made a 'that's gross' face and his lips curved into a delectable smile.
"I have never seen a vampire cringe at the word blood before."
"It's a whistle that only I can hear."
"Oh…Like a dog?"
"I guess you could say that."
I also loved Camilla, Ruby's "cousin", she was so easy going and even knowing the whole Ruby is a vampire she still loved Ruby and was her biggest fan. I loved their relationship. I also enjoyed Mila's character as she grew through the book, she became stronger and started sticking up for herself. They're two girls I wouldn't mind having in my team, they were both so loyal and caring.

Your Guardian Angel is a fantastic introduction to the Guardian Angel series. It's a first book that grabs you and doesn't let you go till the series comes to an end. It's action-packed with original plot that has you craving more ideas from the Author. Looking forward to reading the remaining books in the series.


Personally Chosen Excerpt

"Where are your wings?" I wondered aloud, as I often did.

Eli laughed. I assumed, you expect angel wings to be bit and white and feathery."

"Well…yes."

"No, they aren't like in the books at all. Our wings are connected to our souls, and like the soul, our wings aren't physical. They are a mass energy, in the shape of wings, yes, but not physically."

"Wow, what a rip off."

"I don't see it that way. If I had massive wings, I couldn't fit through doors or drive a car."

"Who needs to drive when you can fly!" I commented as I climbed over the rotted trunk of a tree.

The Series

Sunkissed 

by Skyla Madi


Series: Guardian Angel #2
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Publisher: Limitless Publishing




Synopsis 


What if everything you knew, everything you believed was a lie? 

For Ruby Moore life doesn’t slow down. It’s just one roller coaster ride after another and when the higher power comes to visit, Ruby’s world is shaken to its foundations. He offers her a job and if she wants to protect those she loves, she has no choice but to accept it. 

Face to face once again with love, loss and death, Ruby is being forced to sacrifice her own freedom in order to protect her world from the clutches of the evil vampires and if she fails, her loved ones will have to pay the price.

Salvation

by Skyla Madi


Series: Guardian Angel #3
Publication Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Limitless Publishing 




Synopsis 


In the aftermath of a battle that forced Ruby to flee the safety of the guardian angels, she settles into a small town, hoping to blend in and forget about the ones she loved. It isn’t until Hunter stumbles across her working in a bar and a well-timed email from Ivan Aleksandrov that she realised she could go back to Sage Sanctum—for a few days, at least.

Out for revenge, Lucian will stop at nothing until he has Ruby for himself, but he isn’t the only one that needs her. The council, a group of gods/goddesses have a mysterious hand in Ruby’s return to Sage Sanctum and Mr Aleksandrov is eager to find out what it is.

Destroying Lucian is the least of her worries when Ruby comes face to face with Eli De Luca, the love of her life. It seems her departure has affected him more than she thought it would, but his frustration with her isn’t strong enough to hide the electricity that crackles relentlessly between them.

Determined to end her very real nightmare once and for all, Ruby fights the biggest battle of her life, one that affects not only her, but everyone involved.

About The Author

Skyla Madi


Skyla Madi was born in the small town of Port Maquarie, New South Wales in 1993. She spent half her life growing up in Wauchope, a thriving rural town at the heart of the Hastings River Valley before making the leap to the busy city of Brisbane. 

Whenever this young Australian writer isn't changing diapers, watching cartoons, cooking for her husband or doing other motherly-wife things she is actively working on her writing and improving her writing skills. 

Skyla loves to read just as much as she loves to write and since discovering that YA/NA/paranormal romance/urban fantasy/ are her favourite genres, she has embarked on her own writing journey and is currently contracted with Limitless Publishing.


~ Giveaway ~ 

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Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Review ~ The Telepathic Clans by BR Kingsolver (The Succubus Gift)


The Succubus Gift

by BR Kingsolver 


Series - The Telepathic Clans Saga #1
Published - April 22, 2012
Cover Artist - Rebecca Sinz
Buy It Now - Amazon Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Kobo | Diesel | Indigo


Synopsis


The history of the Clans, called the Sidhe by the Irish, stretches back to antiquity. The Goddess blesses Her people with 25 Telepathic Gifts. In addition to Telepathy, the Gifts include command over Air and Fire, Telekinesis and Teleportation. In over 2,500 years, She has never bestowed more than 15 Gifts on a single person. 

Brenna Morgan was orphaned at eight when her parents were killed in a plane crash. Through one foster home after another, she carried the ornate, carved wooden box her mother had left with her, keeping it always a secret. Then one night she stumbles over a man who claims her as family. 

Brenna’s life isn’t the same after she discovers her unusual and mysterious heritage. In addition to being a telepath, Brenna learns she has the Succubus Gift. 

That’s just the beginning of her problems. Someone is stalking her. Then there’s the tall, dangerous woman who shadows her and hints a Goddess has linked them. And what is she going to do with a handsome, charismatic, womanizing man she knows she should avoid? 

Some days a girl just wants to pull the covers over her head and stay in bed -- with a willing young man of course.

Click here for Review of The Succubus Gift

Succubus Unleashed 


Series - The Telepathic Clans Saga #2
Published - June 25, 2012
Cover Artist - Mia Darien








Succubus Rising


Series - The Telepathic Clans Saga #3
Published - February 14, 2013






Excerpt


Carlos stared at Don Rodrigo, writhing on the ground before him. Rebecca appeared by his side, startling him. His lover walked toward the Argentine Clan head, picked up his rifle, and pulled his pistol from its holster. 

“Good God, Rebecca,” Carlos exclaimed, standing over the Argentine Don. “What did you do?” 

“I haven’t done anything to him yet. Brenna has captured their minds. Now we need to figure out what to do with them.” 

He turned and looked at the young woman standing behind him, her black hair floating in the wind. She held a rifle in her hands. 

“All of them?” 

“Huh?” Rebecca followed his eyes. “Oh, yeah, she has all of them that still have minds. She wasn’t sure if she could take thirty at once, and she was worried about the distance.” Rebecca checked with Brenna mentally. 

“She says she has seventeen captured. That’s fewer casualties than Paris. I still get sick to my stomach when I remember that disaster. We weren’t trained as well then, and we were younger.” Donny walked over to Brenna and she handed him the rifle. 

“Whew,” Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief. “Try to keep loaded firearms out of her hands. She’s the worst shot in the world. If you think she needs a weapon, give her a frying pan.”

About The Author

BR Kingsolver


I made silver and turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a master’s in business. Along the way I worked in construction, as a newspaper editor, a teacher, and somehow found a career working with computers. 

I love the outdoors, especially the Rocky Mountains. I’ve skied since high school and I’ve hiked and camped all my life. I love to travel, though I haven’t done enough of it. I’ve seen a lot of Russia and Mexico, not enough of England. Amsterdam is amazing, and the Romanian Alps are breathtaking. Lake Tahoe is a favorite, and someday I’d like to see Banff in Canada. 

I have a very significant other, two cats and two Basset Hounds. I’m currently living in Baltimore, nine blocks from the harbor, but still own a home in New Mexico that I see too infrequently.


Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Review ~ Rae of Hope by WJ May

Rae of Hope


Series - The Chronicles of Kerrigan #1
Published - September 5, 2011

Synopsis


How hard do you have to shake the family tree to find the truth about the past? 

Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan never really knew her family's history. Her mother and father died when she was young and it is only when she accepts a scholarship to the prestigious Guilder Boarding School in England that a mysterious family secret is revealed. 

Will the sins of the father be the sins of the daughter? 

As Rae struggles with new friends, a new school and a star-struck forbidden love, she must also face the ultimate challenge: receive a tattoo on her sixteenth birthday with specific powers that may bind her to an unspeakable darkness. It's up to Rae to undo the dark evil in her family's past and have a ray of hope for her future.


Excerpt Chapter 1



“You can’t undo the past. The sins of the father are the sins of the son, or in this case, daughter.” 

Uncle Argyle’s ominous words had echoed in Rae’s head long after he dropped her off at the airport. “A proverb of truth” he had called it. Who spoke like that nowadays? Some good-bye. Tightening her ponytail and futilely trying to tuck her forever-escaping dark curls behind her ears, she looked at her watch, then out the bus window at the tree lined countryside. It seemed strange to see the sun. All she remembered was rain when she had lived in Britain nine years ago. 

Trying to get comfortable, Rae tucked her foot up on the seat, and rested her head against her knee as she looked out at the scenery flashing by. A sign outside the window showed the miles before the bus reached Guilder. It’d be another twenty-five minutes. She popped her ear buds in, blew the bangs away from her forehead and stared out the window across the rolling farm fields, trying to let the music from her iPod distract her. 

It didn’t work. Just when she felt the tension begin to ease from her shoulders and she started to get into the song, something caught her eye. Black smoke billowed just near the top of a lush green hill. Rae stared, her heart fluttering as an old memory began to take hold. She knew what that smoke meant. She’d seen it before, long ago. 

Someone’s house was burning. 

Crap, crap crap, no I don’t want to go there. Her heart started racing and her stomach turned over, making her feel nauseous. 

Dropping her knee, she gripped the seat in front of her, burying her face in her hands taking deep breathes, like the therapists taught her to do. She’d gone through years of therapy to treat what had been called “panic attacks”. It didn’t matter what other people called it. To her, it was simply hell; like being sucked back in time against her will, to a place she never wanted to revisit. So she breathed the way she’d been taught, slow breathe in, all the way, then slow breath out, all the time chanting it’s not real, it’s not real in her head. 

It helped calm her racing heart and made her feel more in control, but it didn’t erase the memory. Nothing on Earth could do that. Being back in England for the first time and seeing the strange smoke, Rae felt six years old all over again. 

She’d been in the living room coloring with new markers before bed when her mother told her to take them to the tree house her dad had built for her and play there until she called her in. That call never came. The blaze bounced horrific shadows around the inside of the tree house. The stinky black smoke slithered in and scared her little six year old self in ways the monsters under her bed never had. 

Rae shuddered and lurched upright, forcefully bringing herself back to the present. Could this school be any further into the sticks? 

Glancing around the now vacant bus, she wondered if the driver had purposely left her until last. She’d watched the last few people get off at a school about fifteen minutes ago, Roe-something or other. They all looked the same, all pretty girls with blonde hair, not one of them thin, pale, and tall like her. They hadn’t been friendly. Big surprise there… She was used to it. She tended to fly under the radar at best. So she handled them the way she always handled the ones who instantly didn’t like her for no reason she could come up with. Rae avoided making eye contact and tried to appear immersed in the Guilder Boarding School brochure. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to make friends. She’d just never really had any. Most kids her age either didn’t like her or didn’t notice her. 

It bugged her that Uncle Argyle had pushed so hard for her to go when Guilder sent the letter. He’d been the one to move them all from Scotland to New York when she’d come to live with them, taking her away from the horrible tragedy of her parents’ death, and now, he suddenly leapt at the chance for her to go back? It didn’t make any sense. It sort of sucked to leave her current high school. She lacked close friends, but she also lacked enemies, which was a plus in her book. The girls there seemed just as stuck up as the ones who’d gotten off the bus earlier, but they’d simply ignored her. Rae always told herself it didn’t matter anyway. Cliques were so passé in her opinion. 

Another weird thing that she couldn’t seem to find an answer to was why Guilder would choose her? How did they even know she existed? Her uncle boasted how big a deal it was for her to be selected, but he’d never once explained how they’d even come to know about her in the first place. She had the grades, the brain part always came easy for her, but she didn’t have any extra-curricular activities at all, nothing to make her stand out. So, how had this amazing school she’d never heard of before decide to take her on? It didn’t make any sense. She tried a few times before she left to corner her uncle and get him to explain part or all of it, but he’d always seemed to be busy. 

While this wasn’t exactly abnormal behavior for him, it still left her with a sense of foreboding, something that had clung to her ever since she got the letter. She couldn’t figure out why, but she had a strong sense that something big was coming. Whether it was good or bad, she didn’t know. 

A movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, pulling her mind out of the endless circle of questions in her head. She turned to look out the window, and was stunned to see the largest bird she’d ever seen in her life. Maybe an eagle? The thing flew parallel with the bus, right beside her. 

Pressing her face against the cool glass, her gaze focused intently on the curious sight. She jerked back when its large wings flapped, brushed the window, and then veered away. She watched its graceful flight as it soared and then swooped to settle onto the limb of a large tree just ahead. As the bus passed by, the bird seemed to lock eyes with Rae and she was mesmerized. Rae had always wondered what it would feel like to be a bird, to fly so free, go anywhere the wind took her. She continued to watch the bird until she couldn’t see it anymore, then slumped back into her seat as the bus sped onward down the long road. 

Guilder Boarding School. She gnawed at the cuticle on her thumbnail a little too hard and ripped the skin, drawing a wince from her. She couldn’t help it, she always did this when she was nervous. She’d be the only American girl. Well, not really American. She held a British passport but had moved to New York after her parents died in the fire, leaving her orphaned. So…not really American, not really British; a little of both, but belonging to neither. 

The bus cruised by an aged stone sign. Guilder Boarding School, Founded 1520. One of Britain’s Finest Educational Institutions. Rae read the sign and wondered how a school could be that old and not be featured in stories or online. She found nothing when she tried researching it. They drove under an old, leaded window arch that connected two round, red-brick towers. The stream of people coming and going from the doors at the bottom made her think it must be some kind of office. She craned her neck to get a better view. The buildings were old but were well kept and held an almost magical aura of their original Tudor era. She half expected to see men in tights and codpieces strutting down the road, leading their horses, with corseted ladies perched delicately atop them. The mental picture amused her and she absent-mindedly smiled. Her eyes were drawn to the ornate, brick chimneys along the buildings’ roofs. She glimpsed the other buildings beyond. This place looks huge…hope I don’t get lost. 

The driver pulled to a halt in front of a building with an embossed plaque that said “Aumbry House”. The ancient building had ivy growing all over it. It looked like it was probably older than Henry VIII, leaving Rae with horrifying visions of chamber pots dancing in her head. It better have indoor plumbing… 

The bus door slid open with a hiss. Rae gathered her two small suitcases and her book bag, clambered down the aisle and finally, blessedly, off the bus. “Welcome to Guilder, Ms. Kerrigan.” Rae awkwardly spun around to face the voice, finding that a tall, thin woman stood on the concrete steps of the building, her eyes darting left and right, pausing on Rae for barely more than a few seconds. 

Rae stared, wondering where the lady had come from. She wasn’t there a moment ago. Rae looked at the woman’s long, wool skirt. This might be England, but today is sweltering. How is she not melting in this heat? 

“I am Madame Elpis, your house mistress.” The lady darted down the large concrete steps, pausing on the last step and, in one fluid motion, tucked her clip board under an armpit and extended her hand. 

The woman’s features reminded Rae of a bird – her jet-black hair, dark eyes, and especially the jutting nose. Rae nodded and dropped a suitcase so she could return the handshake, her fingers crushed by the woman’s claw-like grip. Ow, ow, ow! So you’re freakishly strong, got it. 

“Come along. No time for dilly-dallying.” She turned and marched up the steps, not checking to see if Rae followed or needed any help with her bags. 

Huffing out a breath, Rae grabbed her things and clambered to follow, hearing the bus driver chuckle as he closed the door behind her. I’m spending the next two years here? What joy. What freakin’ bliss. 

Hammering and drilling noises from above greeted Rae as she came through the entrance. The clamor echoed throughout the building. 

“Fifteen and sixteen-year-olds are on the second floor,” Madame Elpis shouted above the noise. “Your room is the last door on the left.” She checked the chart she’d been holding under her arm. “Molly Skye is your roommate. I assume you can find the way.” The last part was more statement than question. 

“Thank you,” Rae replied uncertainly, not knowing what else to say. 

Madame Elpis pointed to a door on her left. “The study hall’s through there. The glass doors lead to the game room. The door to your right is to my living quarters. You are not permitted there.” She led Rae to the winding staircase made of black and white marble. “Juniors are on the second floor, seniors on the third and fourth.” She glanced at an old pocket watch hanging on a chain around her neck and, if possible, straightened even more. “Dinner is at five o’clock, sharp.” She turned, her skirt swirling as she darted into her room, and with a kick of her boot, slammed the door. 

Rae exhaled the breath she hadn’t realize she’d been holding. The banging of hammers and screeching whine of electric saws reverberated through the hallway. She was so nervous, the hammering could have been coming from her heart and she wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. 

Rae took her time up the marble stairs and, once on the landing, headed left to the end of the hall. Biting the inside of her cheek, she gave a light knock at the slightly open door and peered in. Empty. Rae cautiously pushed the door open and surveyed her new room. 

Thick, lush brown carpet covered the floor. Two beds, with matching duvets and tan suede pillows, rested against the opposing walls. One of which already sat full of half-empty suitcases. Modern closets with ample space matched perfectly with the antique desks built into the wall by each oriel window. Rae inhaled deeply, taking in a mingled sense of fresh paint and the unique scent of antiques. 

Finally! It’d been one helluva long day of traveling. Much of the tension ebbed from her shoulders and she cracked a smile for the first time in hours. 

Rae dropped her suitcases on the uncluttered side of the room. Her roommate, Molly, must have stepped out halfway through unpacking. Her closet doors were spread open, with hangers already full of clothes and more shoes than Rae had owned in her entire life. She’d never been big on dressing up, but she still knew designer labels when she saw them and she saw an awful lot of them in that closet. 

Hopefully, her roommate didn’t end up being superficial. Rae stood there wondering how she’d deal with it if she had to room with Guilder’s Next Super Model. Visions of her roommate stomping up and down the room in heels practicing her “walk” distracted her. She didn’t hear the footsteps walking down the hall to the door. 

“What are you doing in me room?” Rae jumped and dropped her purse. A fashionably dressed girl stood in the doorway. She had dark, mahogany red hair, the kind women paid insane amounts of money to try to copy. Oh great…well, here we go. 

“Molly?” Rae swallowed. “I’m your new roommate.” 

Molly stared Rae up and down. “You’re Rae Kerrigan? I pictured someone totally different. You’re not scary at all!” She laughed as if at some private joke. Scary? Me? What is she talking about? 

“Name’s Molly Skye. I’m from Cardiff, in Wales.” She shoved one of her suitcases onto the floor and dropped into the small, open space on the bed. 

Rae watched, confused. Why would anyone think of her as scary? Because she lived in New York? She had a terrible premonition of being the odd one out, and school hadn’t even started yet. 

“You’re not sixteen, eh? No ta’too?” Molly pointedly dropped her gaze down to Rae’s waist, as if she expected Rae to show her something. 

Tattoo? Rae squinted, trying to listen closer to Molly’s accent. The way she spoke, some of the words were hard to make out. Why would she ask if I have a tattoo? 

“My birthday’s in three days. It’s going to be so awesome!” Molly leaned back on her elbows. “When’s yers?” 

“My birthday? Uh…not ‘til November.” Straight into the personal info. Okay, I think I know what my roommate is going to be like. 

“November? You do have a long wait.” Molly grimaced and shook her head. “Poor you. You’ll be the last one inked for sure.” She jumped off the bed. Rae noted the strange comment, but Molly’s motor-mouth went speeding on, so she filed it away for examination at a later time.

“What’d you think of our room? Pretty cool, eh? Aside from the construction on the floors above us.” She shot the ceiling an annoyed look. “I just talked to one of the workers. He said they finish at four. They start again at like eight in the morning! Can you believe that? Who gets up at that time, anyway?” 

Wow. Molly can talk without pausing for breath. Rae nodded and tried to keep up. She watched Molly roll from the balls of her feet to her heels, back and forth continually. It was a typically nervous gesture that Rae attributed to meeting new people. Everybody has their issues, but it’s still surprising, considering how fast she’s talking. 

“Can you believe we got invited to Guilder? We’re two of sixteen females within a landmass of rich, supposedly unattainable, handsome boys.” When Rae didn’t respond, Molly squinted at her. “You do know why you’re here, right?” 

Rae shrugged. Jet lag seemed to be eating her brain cells. “To be honest, I don’t really know what you mean. I haven’t been in England since I was six and I know nothing about Guilder.” Despite numerous Google searches at home and having my nose buried in the brochure for an hour on the ride here. 

“You’re not slow or something, are you?” Rae shook her head slowly wondering if her talkative new roomie had just insulted her. Molly stared, scratching her head. “You really don’t know, do you?” She looked up and to the left, obviously recalling something important. She straightened, as if quoting some bit of brochure from memory. “Guilder’s a highly sought after educational institution, but it is primarily a school for the gifted. People who get to go to Guilder know why. The rest of the world has no idea!” 

Rae curled her fingers tight, her nails digging into her palms. She felt stupid and also irritated at herself for feeling stupid. It wasn’t something she wanted to deal with, especially after such a long day of travel. “What makes us…gifted?” 

Molly’s eyes grew huge. She paced the room. “Oh, my... Me da’s never going to believe this. You seriously don’t know ANYTHING?!” 

Rae felt her blood pressure rising. She knew she was tired, confused, and nervous. None of that it was helping her temper, but she was determined not to lose it on what amounted to a total stranger. She pressed her lips tight to stop any snappish comment that might escape. Can’t the ditz just answer a simple question with a straight answer? 

Molly swung around in front of Rae, dramatically squared her shoulders, and put on a serious face. “When we turn sixteen, we receive our ink blot.” 

“What?” 

“A ta’too.” She leaned forward and whispered, “It gives us special powers.” 

Pause…say what? “P-Powers?” Rae tried not to laugh. Had her uncle sent her to an institution for the insane? “You’re kidding, right?” Uncle Argyle had told her the experience would change her life, but hadn’t said how. Rae figured he meant she’d do some growing up – like a maturity thing. And, of course, there was that silly proverb. But perhaps he’d mistakenly sent her off to a giant rubber room. 

Molly waved a hand. “I’m serious. The gift is passed down from generation to generation.” She blew out an exaggerated breath. “Any guy around here who’s sixteen has a ta’too on the inside of his forearm.” She dragged Rae toward the window and pointed to the building across from them. “That’s the boys’ dorm. Let’s go outside and walk around. I’ll get one of them to show you what I mean.” 

Her eyes dropped down to Rae’s clothes, her lips pursed tight together. “Do you fancy a quick change before we go?” 

Rae laughed, despite her roommate’s serious expression. Molly definitely was crazy, but she had a point. She’d dressed comfortably for travel, and even though she wasn’t big on fashion, even she drew the line at meeting her new classmates looking like a worked-over hag. She could use some freshening-up. “Yeah, give me a moment.” 

“I’m off downstairs to try and find some cute boys. Meet me outside when you’re ready.” Molly left, still chattering nonstop with no one in the hall to listen. 

Rae opened the closest suitcase and grabbed the first pair of jeans and top within reach. She hesitated and dug a little deeper into her suitcase. The jeans were fine, they were new, but a white t-shirt seemed too plain. She found a pink Converse tank top with ONE STAR written in sparkles. She pulled out her hair tie, wishing her unruly black curls were straight like Molly’s perfect hair. She never bothered with makeup because she had crazy-long eyelashes that mascara seemed to only want to clomp up against, and almost everything else just made her look kinda like a sloppy hooker. Keep it simple, that’s what her aunt had always told her. She settled for lip gloss, and deodorant, and then grabbed a pair of sandals before tossing her purse under her pillow. Now, time to find out what Molly’s been babbling on about, or at least, maybe meet some cute guys. She might be invisible most of the time, but eye candy was eye-candy, no matter which side of the Atlantic it was seen on. 

Once outside, she shaded her eyes against the bright sunlight with her hand and searched for her new roommate. 

Molly stood further down the sidewalk, talking to a very hot guy with chestnut brown hair, dark eyes and a dimple on his right cheek. It disappeared when he stopped smiling and began talking again, making Rae a little sad. She wanted to see that dimple again. Rae bounded down the steps, and then slowed down, trying not to appear too excited. She flinched and covered her head when a loud crashing noise sounded from above, and a large piece of debris flew down from the fourth floor and landed in the blue bin beside her. Face burning, she pretended it hadn’t bothered her and continued walking. Molly and the boy turned to stare in her direction. 

Rae heard someone holler from above, but couldn’t make out what the guy said. Embarrassed by her reaction a moment before, she ignored the shout and kept walking. Molly’s eyes grew big, her hands flew to her cheeks and her mouth dropped open. She screamed. Rae stared as Molly frantically pointed above her head. Rae tipped her head up. She froze in horror when she saw a huge, severed piece of wood paneling balanced like a seesaw on the window ledge several floors above. 

The wood scraped against the windowsill, and teetered as if undecided which way it should fall. Oh crap! A gust of hot, dry wind blew by, knocking the severed beam into final decent. It spun as it fell and all sound was just gone. 

Fight or flight. Rae dropped her gaze, her eyes darted about. The guy beside Molly moved toward her frozen frame. Everything moved in slow motion except for the guy running like a freight train. He was greased lightning, moving faster than anything Rae had ever seen. It didn’t seem possible for a person to move so fast. And why am I focused on him when I’m about to be squashed like a bug?




Dark Nebula


Series - Chronicles of Kerrigan #2
Published - December 15, 2012

Synopsis

Nothing is as it seems anymore. 

Leery from the horrifying incident at the end of her first year at Guilder Boarding School, Rae Kerrigan is determined to learn more about her new tattoo. Her expectations are high, an easy senior year and a happy reunion with Devon, the boy she’s not supposed to date. All hopes of happiness turn into shattered dreams the moment she steps back on campus. 

Lies and secrets are everywhere, and a betrayal cuts Rae deeply. Among her conflicts and enemies, it appears as if her father is reaching out from beyond the grave to ruin her life. With no one to trust, Rae doesn’t know where or who to turn to for help. 

Has her destiny been written? Or will she become the one thing she hates the most—her father’s prodigy.



Paperback Princess Review 


The sins of the Father, is the sins of the Sons...or in this case, the daughter

Rae Kerrigan was made an orphan at the age of six when both her parents died in a house fire. Adopted by her Uncle and Aunty who moved her half way across the world from England to New York City. Now at 15, Rae is on her way back to England after her Uncle persuaded her to take up an offer from Guilder, a prestigious boarding school, one that she did not apply for.

Rae of Hope is the first in the Chronicles of Kerrigan series by Wanita May. It's a fast-paced and easy read and it reminded me somewhat of the Harry Potter series for several reasons; she gets an acceptance into a school she did not apply for, a boarding school in England and when she arrives she finds out that everyone is "special" with powers. However, that's where the similarity ends. The Author swoops in and creates a unique Paranormal story that was quite an unexpected enjoyable read.

Guilder is a prestigious school that belongs to special children, initially for males only, the school made an exception to allow girls in the year that Rae Kerrigan was due to turn 16. At 16 all students in Guilder get a tattoo "tatu". This power is hereditary and all the students have at least one parent that also holds the power and have the tatu. Rae is different because BOTH her parents had powers, a tatu couple is frowned upon by their society.

Rae believes she's going to be the unobtrusive student that no one notices, as she was in her previous school. However, when she arrives at Guilder, she soon realises very quickly that this wouldn't be the case. It seems that in their hidden society she's somewhat of a celebrity because of her parents. Not knowing much about her parents Rae soon unravels the disturbing story behind her Parents death and the history of her Parents that she was not told about.

Rae of Hope is a fantastic debut novel by Wanita May. I enjoyed the unique concept that at 16, children of those that have tatu powers also receive powers. I did however, wish that May provided more information as to how the children get the tatu and the powers. Generally more background info than it's hereditary magical powers.

One part that I felt May really excelled at is the depiction of Guilder. She really makes you feel like your there and I really enjoyed the old-school (literally) and I really wanted to go to Guilder! I also enjoyed the characters, WJ May did a fantastic job depicting the characters. However, there was a twist in the story and I honestly did not see that coming. I'm really looking forward to reading Dark Nebula. Please do follow the remaining stops of this tour so you can check out the other reviews! This is a series tour so you'll find reviews of Dark Nebula too.



About The Author

WJ May 



Wanita May grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St.Catharines. Crazy-happy childhood, she always has had a vivid imagination and loads of energy. 

The youngest of six -- four older brothers, and a sister -- taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life. 

At sixteen, she began competing in athletics (track and field) and before she turned seventeen, she was representing Canada in high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record (1.92m - 6' 3 1/2" for those metric-ly challenged). She attented University of Toronto, and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming All-American 6x - NCAA Indoors Runner Up + more. 

But you're not interested in her athletic career - unless of course you're curious to know she stands 1.70m (5'7") and has jumped 20cm over her head on more than one occassion. She's represented Canada at the World Championships, World Jrs., won Francophone Games, and loved every minute of every competition. From the grueling workouts, the crazy weights she lifted on her back, the days she thought her lungs were going to spit out of her mouth for lack of oxygen, the travelling around the world and the opportunity to read - her favourite past time. 

Wanita and her husband now run an online business, dealing in antiques and collectables - particularly jewelry and porcelain. 

After her father passed away in 2009, from a six-year battle with cancer (which she still believes he won the fight against), she began to write again. A passion she'd loved for years, but realized life was too short to keep putting it off. 

She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Wanita is a writer of Young Adult, Fantasy Fiction and where ever else her little muses take her.

Monday, 25 February 2013

Review ~ The Moonsongs Series by EJ Wesley {Giveaway}


Welcome to Paperback Princess' stop for The Moonsongs Series tour, hosted by CBB Book Promotions. I'm so very excited as this is the first tour I've participated in that was for an entire series...well so far anyway. In my stop you'll find my review for Blood Fugue (Moonsongs #1) and Witch's Nocturne (Moonsongs #2) and of course fantastic giveaways! There are not one but TWO giveaways, so TWICE the chance and the tour wide prize is HUGE! So don't miss out. Please follow the remaining stops, tour schedule can be found here.

About The Books




Title: Blood Fugue
Author: E.J. Wesley
Series: Moonsongs #1



Blood Fugue (Moonsongs, Book 1)


“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”

Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried. 

Life has pummeled her heart into one big, lonely callus. She has no siblings, both parents were dead by sixteen, and her last grandparent—and caretaker—was in the ground before she turned twenty-one. She’s the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thinks…

“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.

”Suddenly, instead of burying it with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.



Title: Witch's Nocturne
Author: E.J. Wesley
Series: Moonsongs #2

Buy It Now: Smashwords | Barnes & NobleAmazon


Witch's Nocturne (Moonsongs Book 2)

After receiving an ancient tribal journal from her grandfather, Jenny is sent on a mission of discovery in an attempt to unravel clues to her family's monster hunting past. The journey becomes more than academic when she is asked to confront a coven of dangerous witches who plan to cast an insidious spell on the plains of West Texas. 


Witch's Nocturne is the second of the Moonsongs Books, a series of paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley. These stories contain language and content better suited for mature readers.



Paperback Princess Review

"Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness  for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted. For me, dwelling on the past was akin to keeping a picture of an ex-boyfriend who had cheated on me with the town whore, stolen my favourite t-shirt,and given me Chlamydia. There'd be no value in holding onto that kind of torment. Personally, if I bumped into yesterday at the grocery store, I'd punch it in it's shitty face and take my shirt back."
That was the first paragraph of Blood Fugue, seriously...who can't continue to read on from there. This paragraph had me in absolute stitches. 

Jenny Schmidt is quite alone in this world, her parents have both passed and her last Guardian, her Grandmother had also recently passed. She hadn't known any other relatives until her Grandfather, Billy Moonsong, Facebook messaged her. The arrival of Jenny's Grandfather is what Blood Fugue is about, the tumultuous journey that changes Jenny's life forever. 

Blood Fugue is the first book in the Moonsongs Series. The series is about the Moonsongs, an Apache tribe of monster hunters! When Jenny's Grandfather contacts her for help, she is thrust from her boring life into a paranormal world she didn't know existed. 

This first book in the series was over before it even began, it was more of an introduction into the new world that Jenny is entering. Don't let the fact that it's an introduction fool you, it was still filled with action and a very surprising ending that really has you wanting to grab the next book immediately. Lucky for me (thanks to the Author and Candace from CBB) I was able to grab Witch's Nocturne straight away.

Witch's Nocturne commences where Blood Fugue left off. Jenny is inspired to start an online paranormal investigation business, after all, she's part of the Moonsong tribe, some of the best monster hunters blood runs through her veins. This book is about Jenny's first clientele, IpsWitch, and their first investigation. IpsWitch's coven is planning to taint the water supply of Jenny's town. The coven wants revenge on the town they held responsible for the burning of one of their founders,  Felicia. 

Witch's Nocturne like Blood Fugue is fast-paced, straight to the point but still filled with mystery, twists and turns and an explosive ending. The story has you turning the pages quicker than you can finish reading the last sentence. Things are not what it seems and all these elements are what made me enjoy this book maybe even slightly more than Blood Fugue, I'm guessing that's because I already knew the characters. Witch's Nocturne did not waste any time, it went straight to the plot of the story.

The Moonsong series are written as short individual stories with the same main characters. Each story has a fairly conclusive ending with no major cliff hangers. The writing is fantastic and I wish that EJ Wesley will write an entire novel as I just couldn't get enough of this story! Blood Fugue and Witch's Nocturne are both fun, fast-paced reads, well written and the adventure and mystery level are perfection. Both books are straight to the point with the story and the ending coming far too soon for my liking...yes you heard right, I wish that these books were longer than what they were. I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the consecutive books in the series. 

Loved It! A Must Read!



About the Author





Born and raised in Oklahoma, E.J. grew up in a land of good earth and better people. He holds degrees in psychology and counseling, but prefers to spend his time in the heads of imaginary people to real ones. He writes and lives in South Texas, and loves to chat about movies, books, music, food, and family.

~ Giveaway ~  


This is one special tour as there is not one, but TWO giveaways! 

Giveaway 1 ~ TWO winners will win TWO ebooks; a copy of Blood Fugue AND Witch's Nocturne each. For your chance to win, just comment below and tell me:

a) What appealed to you in this tour post that made you want to read The Moonsongs series?
b) How do you like these types fo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This tour is presented to you by



Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Night Creatures Trilogy by Marianne de Pierres

Created by Elspeth Allison
Courtesy of Burn Bright Website

As previously mentioned in this post, Paperback Princess will be hosting several Australian YA Authors this month in commemoration of Australia Day, January 26th. Our first visit, is from award-winning author Marianne de Pierres, also known as Marianne Delacourt.

As part of Marianne's visit here at Paperback Princess, I'd like to introduce you to her debuted YA series, The Night Creatures trilogy otherwise known as The Burn Bright series.


Author of the Week

Books
Night Creatures Trilogy
WebsiteTwitter | Facebook
Check out the interactive sites for the Burn Bright series to view pictures of the world of Ixion, join the Burn Bright Bookclub, get your free stickers and bookmarks and much more!
 Into a world of wild secrets and deadly pleasures comes a girl whose innocence may be her greatest strength.

In Ixion music and party are our only beliefs. Darkness is our comfort. We have few rules but they are absolute . . .

Retra doesn’t want to go to Ixion, the island of ever-night, ever-youth and never-sleep. Retra is a Seal – sealed minds, sealed community. She doesn’t crave parties and pleasure, experience and freedom.

But her brother Joel left for Ixion two years ago, and Retra is determined to find him. Braving the intense pain of her obedience strip to escape the only home she’s ever known, Retra stows away on the barge that will take her to her brother.

When she can’t find Joel, Retra finds herself drawn deeper into the intoxicating world of Ixion. Come to me, whispers a voice in her head. Who are the Ripers, the mysterious guardians of Ixion? What are the Night Creatures Retra can see in the shadows? And what happens to those who grow too old for Ixion?

Retra will find that Ixion has its pleasures, but its secrets are deadly. Will friendship, and the creation of an eternal bond with a Riper, be enough to save her from the darkness?

Listen well, baby bats. Burn bright, but do not stray from the paths. Remember, when you live in a place of darkness you also live with creatures of the dark.
 Retra - now called Naif - has escaped from Ixion, the island of ever-night. She doesn't know if her friends on the island survived the battle between the Ripers and the rebels. But she does know that she must return home, behind the sealed walls of Grave, to find out why the Ripers have been seen there talking to the councillors. What links the two worlds? 



First she must convince Ruzalia to help her. The fierce pirate captain saves those who face terrible fates on Ixion, but that doesn't guarantee their gratitude. Instead, she faces a revolt - and Naif is caught in the middle.




Naif will need all her courage to survive. For Lenoir, who wants to keep her safe, for her friends Suki and Rollo, if they live, for Markes, who has secrets of his own, and for the new friends she will make on this journey.




The fate of worlds depends on it.
 Ixion. The island of ever-night. 




If she had a choice, Naif wouldn’t go back. But her friends will die if she doesn’t find a cure for the badges that are slowly killing them, and her brother is there, fighting against the Ripers who hold everyone in thrall. And Naif has knowledge that might save them all.



First she must solve the mystery of Ixion’s eternal night. Then she must convince everyone – rebels and revellers alike – to join her cause. And all the while, she must fight the urge to go to Lenoir – her greatest love, her mortal enemy. 

The secrets of Ixion must be revealed. The evils must be stopped. A new dawn will come.


Book Trailer for Burn Bright


Burn Bright Official Soundtrack


Click below to download from iTunes





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